Barrel



May 7, 1935. 'r. R. WINCHELL BARREL Filedoct. 27, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 y "r. R. WiNCHELL 2,000,544

BARREL Filed Oct. 27, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 7,1935. T. R. WINCHELL 2,000,544

7 BARREL Fi led Oct. 27, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet wllllfllll I I 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAQ a:

Patented M 7, 1935 l p 2,000,544

UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE BARREL Thomas B. Winchell, West'Newton, Mass assignor to Northern Maine Plywood Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application October 27, 1933, Serial No. 895,428 9 Claims. (Cl. 147-1) This invention relates to the manufacture of Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the barrel shown plywood barrels, preferably barrels thatare cylinin Fig. 12, with one side thereof in longitudinal drical, although they may taper slightly. section.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is Fig. 14 is an enlarged detail sectional view of to provide a novel and improved process or s a portion of the barrel shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of 5 method and apparatus of making barrels'of this the drawin kind, whereby they can be eifectively and eco-. Fig. 15 is a similar fragment sectional v 110111168115? made by hand, if desired, in order to of a portion of the barrel shown in Figs. 9 and 10 fulfill the requirements of those who cannot afof the drawin 10 ford to buy expensive machinery, and whereby 'As thus illustrated, the apparatus forpractic- 10 the steps of making a barrel of this kind are ing the improved method, embodying the princincvel in the order in which they are performed. Dies of the v tion, comprises a Cylindrical It is also an object to provide certain details drum I, mounted on a horizontal axle or spindle and features tending to increase the general ef- 2, the l r being fi at e end in the pp ficiency and desirability of a process or method por i n f he Pedestal whereby the Outer end 15 and an apparatus of this particular character. of the drum is freely acces ibl To theforegoing and other useful ends, the in- In Pr i in he h d p ce the first vention consists in matters hereinafter set forth, step consists in cutting a plywood sheet 4, as and claimed and shown in the accompanying shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, with one end drawingain whichedge scarfed oif at 5, on the inner side of the 20 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus for assheet, as shown. This sheet of plywood prefer-- sembling the materials and practicing the new ably consists of three layers, with the grain of process or method. the wood of the inner and outer layers extending Fig. 2 is a perspective showing a sheet, of plylongitudinally of the barrel, and with the grain of wood of the kind from which the barrels are the wood. of the intermediate layer extendin 25 made. 1 circumferentially of the barrel.

Fig. 3 shows one form of preformed barrel head. Second, barrel heads are made, such as thos Fig. 4 shows another form of preformed barrel shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, of any headsuitable or desired character. The one shown in Fig. 5 isa longitudinal section of the upon Fig. 3 is constructed by using blocks or cleats 6, 30 V which the materials are assembled, showing the fastened end to end around the periphery of the cylinder plywood and one of the barrel heads held barrel head,,the wall lot this head consisting of in place thereon. a disk of plywood. In Fig. ft, the disk of plywood Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the structure shown 8 is fastened'to the edge of a hoop 9, and the overin Fig. 5, with one portion thereof shown in-sec- ,lapping' ends .of the hoop are suitably fastened 35 tion. together. In this way, the method starts with Fig. ,7 is an end elevation of the structure preformed sheets of plywood for the body of the shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. I barrel, and with preformed barrel heads for Fig. 8 is a side elevation or edge view of one of closing the ends of the barrel.

40 the annular clamps shown in Fig. 6 for clamping Third, the plywood sheet 4 is wound around the 40 the cylinder of plywood upon the drum upon drum l, in the manner shown in the drawings, which they materials are assembled and fastened with the end portions of the sheet overlapping to together. I form a lap joint or seam extending longitudinally Fig.9 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing a difat one side of the barrel. ferent form-of the invention. Fourth, the clamps 10, shown in the drawings, 45

' Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the are placed around the plywood cylinder thus form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 9 of the formed, and the clamps are more or less tightened drawings. to hold the plywood cylinder firmly in place on 11 is a view similar-to Fig.1, showing the the drum. For this purpose, each steel band apparatus adapted for use in practicing that clamp It has a handle or lever ll pivoted on one 50 form of the invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of end of the band, at l2, and has a bracket I; havthe drawings. 3 ing an adjustable eye-bolt I4 on the other end of Fig. 121s atransverse section of one of the barthe band. A link 15 connects the lever II with rels, showing the form of the invention employed the eye-bolt l4, thus forming a sort of toggle,

in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings. whereby when the handle is in the position shown 55 in full lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings, the clamp is tight on the plywood cylinder. But when it is desired to remove the barrel, the handle is swung into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

Fifth, the bottom head of the barrel is placed in position, within the outer end of the plywood .cylinder, as shown in Figs. 5 and '7 of the drawings, the head in this case being assumed to be the head shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Sixth, the clamps 10 are then fully tightened, to draw the plywood tightly and firmly upon the cylindrical surface of the rotary drum, and to draw the plywood cylinder tightly about the bottom head of the barrel, said head having been .placed in position as explained.

Seventh, the fastening devices l6 are then inserted through the overlapping portions of the barrel body, to permanently fasten the lap joint or seam together. For this purpose, either nails or staples may be employed, and in either case they are preferably clinched on the inner surface of the barrel body, flush with said surface, so that while the nails or staples will not pull out, they will not at the same time make the inner surface of the barrel rough. Staples are preferable, inasmuch as' they are not as easily pulled out as nails, but in a hand method of this kind, it may be easier to employ nails.

Eighth, it is preferable to now remove the clamps from the cylindrical barrel thus formed, preliminary to the rest of the work.

Ninth, nails II are then inserted radially, through'the side walls of the barrel, close to the annular end edge thereof, into the cleats 6 of the preformed head of the barrel.

Tenth, if outside hoops are to be employed, they can be put on in different ways. If outside wood hoops are to be employed, they can be wound on the barrel is against the stops N or other means.

for positioning, the barrel on the drum.

Eleventh, the finished barrel can now be removed' endwise from the rotary drum I upon which it was made; away from the stops IQ for engaging the top end edge of the barrel, as previously described, to correctly position the plywood cylinder on the drum. In addition, the

drum is of such length that when the bottom head is inserted in place, it bears against the outer annular end edge of the drum, so that this edge serves as a. stop or liner to'properlyposition the preformed head in the end of the barrel.

Twelfth, if desired, an ordinary inside hoop or liner 20 can be provided for either one or both ends of the barrel, to limit the insertion of the heads in the barrel, and theliner or liners can be incorporated in the structure of the barrel at any suitable point in the process or method of assembling and fastening the materials together.

Ordinarily, a liner of this kind is only necessary for the upper end of the barrel, obviously, be-' ing of assistance in the podtioning and fastening of the top head of the barrel in place.

Thirteenth, as shown in Figs. 9, l0 andll of thedrawings. a rest or support 2| is of assistance in the step of fastening the bottom head of the barrel in place. Normally, this rest or support occupies the position shown in full lines in Fig.

. 11 of the drawings, but when the point is reached when the barrel must be rotated to fasten the bottom head in place, this support 2| is then moved into the position shown in dotted lines in this figure of the drawings. In this position, the upper end of the support 2| engages the lower side of the barrel, at its end, as shown more clearly in Fig. 9 of the drawings; and in this way the end of the barrel is supported against downward hammer blows on the under side of the barrel when the nails are driven to fasten the barrel head in place. This support 2| is shaped to permit easy rotation of the end of the barrel thereon when it is desired to drive the nails to fasten the bottom head in place.

The above are the various steps, preferably, but not necessarily, in the order in which they are recited, for the making of a barrel of this kind by hand. It will be observed that the cylindrical drum is removable from the axle orspindle upon which it is rotatably mounted, and in this way drums of different diameters can be used interchangeably with each other in connection with the barrel setting up machine. By this method or process, plywood barrelscan be made without the use of expensive equipment, and while made by hand, they will nevertheless be of good quality. An apparatus and a methodof this kind can be employed in small shops where expensive barrel making machinery, more or less automatic, could not be afiorded.

It will be understood that the successive steps may vary somewhat, in character, depending upon the materials employed and other circumstances. For example, it may be found sumeient to merely leave the bottom clamp, the clamp nearest the bottom end of the barrel, loose, before putting the barrel head in place, and to simply tighten this one clamp after the head is in position. Also, it may be found desirable to insert the liner 20, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, against the end of the drum, and to fasten .tliis liner in place by nails 22, driven outwardly through the liner and through the side walls of the barrel, clinching these nails on the support 2| previously mentioned.

,Also, in order to obviate the use of inside hoops or liners, it is obvious that the preformed barrel heads can be formed in a manner to limit their insertion in the ends of the barrel, thus making inside hoops or liners for this purpose unnecessary. -There are various ways of making heads/ for that purpose, and it is not necessary to illus trate any specific formation for this purpose.

There are various details, of course, which can be changed or varied without departing from the spiritof the invention. For example, the cylin drical-drum may be made collapsible, as by splitting one side thereof, so that it can be con racted slightly, if suchis necessary or desirable in order to move the finished barrel. stops l9, suitable or ordinary adjustable means (not shown) may be employed to engage the end of the barrel, for barrels of diflerent heights.

Again, other devices, in place of those shown and described, may be employed for readily clamping the plywood sheet upon the rotary drum, andthe invention, in its broader aspects, is not lim- Also, in place of the ited to the particular clamp shown and described.

Moreover, it is obvious that other means may be employed to facilitate the insertion of the liner 20 in the barrel, and the proper positioning thereof, after the plywood is clamped around the cylinder or drum, and the invention is not limited to the liner positioning means shown and described. After the plywood is clamped around the cylinder, the liner may be inserted, and then the preformed head, andtacks 0r staples may then be driven through the plywood and liner and clinched on any suitable means, either before or after the outside bottom hoop and preformed bottom are nailed in place.

Thus it, will be seen that in the practice of the method constituting the invention, a sheet of plywood or other material is wound around a drum, and temporarily held in such condition by clamping means, of any suitable character, suitably adjusted to permit the insertion of the preformed barrel head, with such adjustment of the clamping means after the barrel head is in position as will put the lap-joint or seam of the plywood in condition for receiving metal fasteners, while the drum is held against rotation, whereby this seam is permanently fastened before the preformed barrel head is fastened in place at the bottom end of the barrel, and before the wood hoops 23 are fastened in place, if wood h'oops are desired. If it is desired to employ a metal hoop, such as those shownin the drawings,

around the bottom end of the barrel, it may be put in place as explained, after the clamping means are removed, and after the side seam is fastened, so that this hoop and the preformed barrel head may be fastened in place by the same nails or other fasteners as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

While solid plywood is shown and described as the material for the barrel body, and for the disk of the barrel head, it is understood that the method and apparatus shown can be employed in connection with other sheet material, for the production of similar barrels by this same method.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Apparatus for making barrels by hand, comprising a rotary annular drum of less length than the barrel and. whereon to wind a sheet of plywood into annular barrel form, with the projecting end of the barrel body open and unobscured, means on the drum to engage the top end of the barrel to position the bottom end thereof a distance beyond the end of the drum, said drum thus being adapted to permit insertion of a preformed head in the said open bottom end of the barrel, after said sheet is rolled on the drum, encircling clamps for holding the plywood in overlapping relation on the drum, adapted to be tightened thereon, whereby the said lap joint may then be permanently fastened together, said clamps being removable to permit fastening of the barrel head in the bottom end of the barrel and a support for the bottom end of the barrel, in the plane of said head, whereon the barrel is rotated during the operation of fastening the barrel head in place, said support being adjustable into and out of operative position, and being formed to engage the end edge of the barrel, thereby holding the latter against axial displacement.

2. A method for making a barrel by hand, comprising the winding of a sheet of material into annular barrel form, placing clamps loosely around the rolled sheet, placing a' preformed bottom head in position in one end of the barrel body thus formed, tightening one or more clamps to cause the barrel body to grip the preformed barrel head, fastening the lap joint or seam formed by the overlapping portions of the sheet, remov-, ing one or more of the clamps, and fastening the tion winding and fastening one or more outside hoops around the barrel, all while the barrel remains in the same position in which the sheet was first wound as stated. I

4. A method as specified in claim 2, comprising the placing of an outside hoop around the bottom end of the barrel, after removal of the clamps, and fastening said hoop to the barrel at the same time that the head is secured in place, all while the barrel remains in the same position in which the sheet was first wound as stated.

5. A method for making a barrel by hand, com-'- prising the winding of a sheet of material into annular barrel form, placing clamping means around the rolled sheet, suitably adjusted to permit the insertion of a preformed barrel head in the bottom end of the barrel, suitably adjusting the clamping means to cause the barrel body to grip the preformed barrel head, so that the latter will be supported entirelyv by the bottom end of, the body, fastening the lap-joint or seam formed by the over-lapping portions of the sheet, and

thereafter fastening the preformed barrel head in place.

6. A method for making a barrel, comprising the rolling of a sheet of material into annular form, with the edges of the sheet overlapping at one side of the barrel, placing a preformed barrel head in the bottom end of the barrel body thus formed by the plywood sheet, tightening the sheet around the preformed barrel head, permanently fastening the seam or overlap formed by the over: lapping portions of'the material, and thereafter fastening the barrel head in place.

7. A method as specified in claim 6, comprising the placing of a preformed hoop around the end of the barrel, before the barrel head is fastened in place, and securing this hoop in place by the same operation that fastens the barrel head in the end of the barrel. v

8. A method as specified in claim 6, comprising the coiling and fastening of hoops around the ends of the barrel, while the barrel is being rotated to facilitate the fastening of the barrel head in place, all while the barrel remains in the same position where the sheet was first rolled as stated.

9. A method as specified in claim 6, comprising the placing and fastening of a hoopshaped liner within the barrel, after the lapping of the ends of the sheet, and before the head is in place.

THOMAS R. WINCHELL. 

